The present invention relates to a paper stripping member that is removably supported by a predetermined supporting member disposed facing a circumferential surface of a rotary body and that strips a paper sheet off the circumferential surface of the rotary body, and to an image forming apparatus provided with the same.
For the purpose of stripping a paper sheet off a circumferential surface of a rotary body such as photoreceptor drum, transfer roller, fuser roller or the like, a paper stripping member is sometimes used. Conventional paper stripping member each include an acute-shaped stripping nail and a holding member holding the stripping nail, and are each disposed in such a manner that a tip portion of the stripping nail is in contact with the circumferential surface of the rotary body with pressure (for example, refer to the Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-255683 bulletin).
For this reason, it becomes necessary for the stripping nail to be replaced when the tip portion is worn away by friction with the rotary body in the course of stripping many paper sheets.
However, with the conventional paper sheet stripping members, which have not been each provided with a member covering the stripping nail, it has been experienced that the stripping nail was easily deformed and/or damaged when the stripping member was dropped by mistake at the time when replacement of the stripping nail was carried out. Besides, in the conventional paper sheet stripping member, since the entire part of the stripping nail is exposed at the time when its replacement is carried out, a maintenance operator is required to pay a high degree of attention to his or her safety.
Although producing a stripping nail with a shortened amount of its projection from the holding member is also conceivable, the manufacture of such a nail is difficult because the shorter the stripping nail is the more difficult it becomes to be held in the manufacturing process such as insert molding and the like.
The present invention is directed to providing a paper stripping member capable of preventing a stripping nail from being deformed and/or damaged and to improving the safety of an operator at the time when replacement of the stripping nail is carried out, and an image forming apparatus provided with the same.